Tips on dealing with organizational politics

Those who say that they haven’t seen organizational politics are in denial. The reality is that each organization has some level of politics and as long as it is healthy, I don’t see anything wrong with it. Everyone has to play some level of politics in an organization, especially if they’re in a leadership position.

Here are some tips for dealing with it:

• You learn a lot about organizational politics at events outside of work. If you cannot make it to these events, at least make an effort to learn from an associate who did.
• Make an effort to understand, who is influential in your organization. Once you know that, you will have an easier time navigating your way through the company.
• Aligning your goals with the goals of influential people is always a smart strategy.
• Needless to say, avoid getting in conflict with those who are influential in your organization. It is a sure shot way of shooting yourself in the foot. I am not saying you need to be a "yes man", but find a neutral way to put your opinions forward and always weigh the pros and cons of sharing your views if they drastically differ from the person in charge.
• Don’t play bad politics! It always comes back to bite you, sooner or later.

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Aditi Chopra is an experienced leader in the software industry.
She is a consultant, writer and a leader.
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